Desolate Devouring Art - Chapter 977 - Despicable Means
Chapter 977 – Despicable Means
Liu Wuxie continued sparring with Ruan Ying, directing her to strike from different angles and directions.
At first, she held back, but by the end, she went all out. Even when she struck with full force, the spatial ripple around Liu Wuxie blocked every blow.
“Master, please let me off…” Ruan Ying said, her voice trembling, her face filled with defeat.
Though she stood at the pinnacle of the Spirit Profound Realm, she couldn’t even touch Liu Wuxie, who remained still and let her attack freely. The blow to her confidence was immense.
“You can leave,” Liu Wuxie said with a wave of his hand.
Ruan Ying bowed and backed away, leaving the courtyard to Liu Wuxie.
Liu Wuxie drew the Heretic Blade and pointed it skyward. Instead of striking, he closed his eyes, sensing the fluctuations in the blade aura.
The Heretic Blade’s spirit roared. It was a divine dragon formed from a fragment of Liu Wuxie’s soul.
Though it lacked a dragon soul, Liu Wuxie had nurtured the spirit from a fragment of his own soul.
When Liu Wuxie swung the Heretic Blade downward, it created no ripple or shockwave, just a plain, unassuming slash. The strike gave off no threat, yet the blade aura touched the ground, and cracks spread instantly across its surface.
And this was without Liu Wuxie channeling a single drop of true essence. Had he done so, everything around him would have been reduced to ruin.
“The Golden Flame Strike’s power has multiplied after merging it with spatial art,” Liu Wuxie muttered to himself.
That strike wasn’t just a Golden Flame Strike; it had spatial energy woven into it.
Just then, the courtyard gate burst open to the sound of shouting outside.
“Liu Wuxie, come out immediately!” a familiar voice shouted. Liu Wuxie recognized it before the speaker even appeared.
A flicker of murderous intent flashed across Liu Wuxie’s eyes.
Ruan Ying, who had just gone to rest, burst out of the house with her sword drawn. Gu Yu did the same, even though he was still refining the Divine Fruit.
Unlike Liu Wuxie, who wielded the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron, Gu Yu had to refine the fruit slowly through meditation.
They stepped out of the courtyard to find a crowd gathered, their eyes filled with glee as they stared at Liu Wuxie.
They didn’t act; not because they lacked the desire to kill Liu Wuxie, but because the timing wasn’t right.
“Liao Changhong, you’re courting death!” Liu Wuxie spat, his gaze locked on the approaching man.
“Liu Wuxie, long time no see. I hope you’ve been well,” Liao Changhong said sarcastically, barely containing his fury.
Had it not been for Liu Wuxie, he would have obtained at least two of the four seasonal treasures, allowing him to make a breakthrough to the Earth Profound Realm by now. But everything was ruined by Liu Wuxie.
“Release them, and I’ll leave you with a complete corpse,” Liu Wuxie said coldly, shifting his gaze to Liu Feng and Liu Xin’er. Chains bound the two to the pillars.
He made his warning clear. If Liao Changhong refused, Liu Wuxie would make him regret ever being born into this world. Not only would Liao Changhong have to face his wrath, but the entire Liao Clan would also be implicated.
“Wuxie, don’t worry about us and leave!” Liu Feng yelled.
Even in such a perilous moment, his priority was Liu Wuxie’s safety.
“Liu Wuxie, hand over your treasures, and I’ll spare their lives. This is a fair trade, in my opinion. What do you think?” Liao Changhong asked.
Killing Liu Feng and Liu Xin’er served him no purpose. What he truly wanted were the Autumn Blossom Fruits and the Thunder Saint Pearl.
“I’ll say it one more time—release them, and I’ll leave you with a complete corpse,” Liu Wuxie repeated, his voice sounding colder and the surrounding air becoming heavy. His murderous intent surged like a tidal wave, radiating outward.
“Liu Wuxie, didn’t you hear what Brother Liao said? Hand over the treasures, or don’t blame us for being ruthless,” said Liao Changhong’s companions, resting their swords on Liu Feng’s and Liu Xin’er’s necks.
If Liu Wuxie refused to hand over the treasures, they stood ready to kill the two without hesitation.
There were nine people in Liao Changhong’s group. Liu Wuxie recognized several of them. The man and woman who had traveled with Liao Changhong before and a few disciples of the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy.
The rest were unfamiliar, likely outsiders who had joined the alliance midway.
“I’ll grind your bones to dust and make you regret coming to this world,” Liu Wuxie said.
Since they refused to release Liu Feng, Liu Wuxie chose to begin the massacre himself.
“Liu Wuxie, do you really want to watch your brother die?” Liao Changhong’s brow twitched.
He had deliberately placed Liu Feng far from Liu Xin’er to prevent Liu Wuxie from rescuing them both in time. But for some reason, Liao Changhong felt an unease in his heart.
“Liao Changhong, do you really think you can threaten me with them? What a joke!” Liu Wuxie sneered, his tone laced with mockery.
He hadn’t expected Liao Changhong to be so foolish.
Liao Changhong was overconfident and had underestimated Liu Wuxie.
“Liu Wuxie, don’t blame me for what happens next since you’re being so stubborn!” Liao Changhong snapped.
He waved his hand, signaling the person who was keeping watch on Liu Feng to kill him and force Liu Wuxie to concede. If they didn’t act now, Liu Wuxie would likely assume they lacked the resolve to execute the hostages.
The man took the order and swung his sword at Liu Feng’s neck.
Some spectators in the crowd couldn’t bear to watch. If the sword struck true, it would surely take Liu Feng’s head. Some female cultivators glared with contempt. Had Liao Changhong fought openly, they might have remained silent, but his disgraceful tactics repulsed them.
Many people regretted not thinking of the strategy first. Had they captured Liu Feng in advance, they might already have forced Liu Wuxie to hand over the treasures.
Liu Feng shut his eyes and waited for death. Strangely, Liu Wuxie’s expression didn’t change—if anything, a trace of mockery crept across his face.
As the sword neared and was inches away from Liu Feng’s throat, something strange happened as a barrier of ripples appeared around Liu Feng’s neck, stopping the sword from advancing any further.
“What are you waiting for? Kill him already!” Liao Changhong yelled hysterically.
“I want to, but my sword just won’t go through,” the man replied with frustration and confusion all written over his face.
The others began to notice that there was an invisible force protecting Liu Feng.
Liu Feng opened his eyes, dazed and confused. He couldn’t understand what had happened, or why a rippling shield was protecting him.
“Die!” Liu Wuxie tapped his finger, and the man who had tried to kill Liu Feng instantly froze into an ice sculpture, his body sealed in frost, with only his head left intact.
“Kill that girl instead!” Liao Changhong roared.
But the same thing happened; spatial ripples completely encased Liu Xin’er.
This was the spatial art Liu Wuxie had only recently comprehended. He hadn’t expected it to prove useful so soon.
At last, Liu Wuxie made his move. There was no rumbling lightning or howling wind. He simply walked toward Liao Changhong, step by step.
Strangely, Liao Changhong began to back away.
“Everyone, attack together and kill him!” Liao Changhong roared. He took out a strange compass from his clothes and tossed it out.
Shortly after, a whirlwind kicked in, engulfing Liu Wuxie within.
“That’s a portable spiritual array!” gasps rang out from the crowd.
The Liao Clan was known for building portable spiritual arrays that could be carried and deployed anywhere.
Among the Four Great Clans, the Liao Clan’s mastery of spiritual arrays was unmatched.
The eight experts leaped into action and launched frenzied attacks on Liu Wuxie. This was Liao Changhong’s trump card, and he was confident he could trap Liu Wuxie to death with it.
“What pitiful tricks,” Liu Wuxie’s voice echoed from the spiritual array, his tone filled with disdain and arrogance.
Yes—arrogance. In the realm of spiritual arrays, Liao Changhong couldn’t match Liu Wuxie’s expertise. And yet, he dared to show off before him?
Liu Wuxie took seven steps in rapid succession and performed the Seven Dipper Steps. The surrounding scenery began to change as he emerged from the spiritual array unharmed.
Liao Changhong’s face turned pale with disbelief. He had never expected Liu Wuxie to unravel his spiritual array in under a minute.
“What terrifying mastery… Could he truly be a spiritual array expert as well?” gasps of horror came from the surroundings, shocked by the talent Liu Wuxie displayed.
It was unfathomable how Liu Wuxie had attained such mastery in both cultivation and spiritual arrays.
The Yuan Clan’s brothers stood silently in the distance. They neither interfered nor helped. They simply watched from the sidelines.
More cultivators began to arrive, curious to witness the confrontation.
“Any other tricks up your sleeves?” Liu Wuxie sneered. “If not… you can die now…”
His voice boomed like a divine decree, announcing their death.
Terror spread across Liao Changhong and his men. The calmer Liu Wuxie appeared, the more unsettled they became.
“I’ll drag you down with me!” cried a cultivator at the pinnacle of the Spirit Profound Realm, manifesting a formidable sword aura.
His technique was impressive, and he could be considered an elite among the younger generation. Then again, no weakling could join the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy.
However, he was nothing but a clown flailing around before Liu Wuxie.
After refining numerous Divine Fruits and unlocking the second gate, Liu Wuxie’s comprehension of dao techniques now rivaled even those at Earth Profound Realm.
He didn’t summon the Heretic Blade, nor was there any breathtaking phenomenon. Only a faint layer of lightning cloaked Liu Wuxie’s body.
The Divine Glazed Cloth shimmered into view, cloaking Liu Wuxie in divine light as he rose into the air like a thunder god.
“What terrifying lightning energy! Did he refine the Thunder Saint Pearl already?” someone exclaimed.
Normally, refining the Thunder Saint Pearl would take three to four months, but it had only been a little over twenty days. Not only had Liu Wuxie refined it, but he had also grasped the essence of lightning.
When Liu Wuxie tapped his finger, a terrifying thunderbolt burst forth, striking the oncoming sword. The lightning energy traveled through the sword and slammed into the attacker.
“ARGH!” the man screamed, his voice filled with agony.
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